Andyjr1515

OK, we have a playing and intonated bass I will keep a weather eye out for another stop tail with slightly wider string spacing. On a bass it is less critical but I'd like the string runs between the bridge and the tail block to be a little straighter if possible. Functionally, however, it plays fine, holds tune, intonates spot on and sounds pretty great even with the present electrics set up - and even through my 6-string electric practice amp! On the strap it is definitely long scale, but I have no problem at all playing it at the lower frets or upper frets and I do not have a long reach. So we now have a stable, playable and good looking bass. Now for stage two - hole in the back and a fancy EQ! ...and MAYBE a tidy up of that horrible neck ivoroid cover strip if I can do that without b*******g it up! It's going well. I'm pleased with this one so far

[quote name='W1_Pro' timestamp='1469108102' post='3095823'] In the immortal words of David St Hubbins; 'such a fine line, between stupid and ([i]Nigel steps in[/i])....clever'. ... [/quote]

[quote name='allighatt0r' timestamp='1469106561' post='3095803'] Sweeeeeet... [/quote]Thanks [quote name='W1_Pro' timestamp='1469107143' post='3095812'] That is handsome Andy. Good call! [/quote] Phew!

The trapeze and t-o-m arrived this morning. I think this will work and look just fine :

This was the main chamber in Kert's single cut - trying to minimise any tendency of neck heavy with the extended upper bout: With a less aggressive carve of the edges, this could have been even larger. Often, the control chamber rout takes enough weight out by itself, but then you sometimes end up with the body lighter at the back and bottom than at the front and the top: It really does depend on the wood and the design shape...both can vary enormously!

[quote name='FuNkShUi' timestamp='1469086409' post='3095561'] It's when parts of the body are hollowed out, or chambered, usually to make the guitar lighter or balance better. I think that's correct. I only know because the bass Andy made for me has a chambered body, and it has made a big difference to the weight!! [/quote] Yes - spot on, Kert. Sometimes they are called 'weight-relieved', W1_Pro. There are various ways of doing it - sometimes they are a series of slots, sometimes (like for Kert's bass) and actual chamber routed out. Pretty essential once you start using some of the heavier woods or larger bodies!

I know it's probably not what you want to hear, but I think you should send it back. I've built two acoustic 6 string steel guitars and they are built the same way. One of mine was bolt-on neck and the other dovetail. However, in both cases, the only way that I can see that you would have a through crack here is if the neck has had a hefty whack from the top - digging the heel in and then splitting the heel at the join of the extension. If it was an old favourite that you had had for years and still played alright, I would say leave well alone and hope for the best. But a pricey new purchase bought as excellent...no chance. It might be alright, but there is a high likelihood that the neck now has movement at the joint and would at some stage need a complete 'fretboard off, neck off, reset and refinish' job. Those jobs are not easy, not cheap and not guaranteed to leave you with a playable guitar...

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1469017958' post='3095094'] Thanks 3 below - good call on the thickness, and if I do go a fraction thicker hopefully that will negate some neck dive. Also, on that point, I think the original strap pin was in a poor position, I was already thinking of making the upper horn a little blunted so the pin could go in there. [/quote] Have a peep at the first [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/288555-custom-semi-acoustic-modifications/"]few posts in my semi-acoustic thread here[/url]. Nice thing is that it is all but invisible too rather than a lump of metal at the end of a nice carved bit of wood. I was amazed how much difference it made and it is something I'm going to try again, starting with my own fretless!

[quote name='scojack' timestamp='1468766995' post='3093180'] So stuck em together and added a bit of bling on top... Hacked out the shape.. And that's as far as i can go,Still struggling for some pau ferro*. Need a new fret saw too, my old one( of twenty years) is officially blunt! *update -- found some Ian [/quote] That's delightful, Ian Andy

Fully endorse what 3below says above ^ With ref to aiming for 1.25" thickness, just double check the hardware and electrics you are planning to use - especially if you have thoughts to use any push/pull or push/push pots - they can be quite deep!

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1468964232' post='3094809'] The deception of pictures [/quote] Seriously, though it's a great idea and certainly possible to do. I'll post you a picture if I'm able to incorporate it in a future build!

Looking good from here, Jez

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1468959999' post='3094749'] Super skill with the control plate and a nice touch using purfling / strip to take the saw kerf up. I feel the need to bring my 335 type bass to you for some cosmetic fettling in the bridge area. [/quote] Actually, while that is a great tip for the next one (maybe even this one!) it's a bit of an illusion. It is quite a small gap (1.5mm) all round so I painted the edges of the cover and the faces of the rebate strips matt black, then added a couple of locating pins to ensure that the cover was exactly in position with an even gap all round. I did actually think of doing something like you said when I thought I might need to use a thicker router bit for the cut but it cut fine with a thin bit on that particular wood. Not sure I will be able to cut the imbuya with such a small bit so I might ending up using your idea on this one

[quote name='BassBus' timestamp='1468956185' post='3094689'] It's always interesting watching people's builds but for some reason I'm finding this really exciting. Maybe because it is something completely different. [/quote] A pal of mine often says he likes watching the stuff I do (including playing) because I'm always on the very edge of disaster...

Hi, Mike To be honest, it's often a case of getting a decent piece of wood and sawing or thicknesing it down to size. Most specific body blanks are 2" with many guitar and bass bodies being 1.75" thick. Depending on the supplier, you might be able to get them to supply at your preferred thickness. Also local carpenters / joinery shops might do it for a small charge. Personally, I don't think you would notice a body 1/2" narrower on most designs (particularly if it's in the style of rather than a straight copy) and bigger pieces of timber usually get disproportionately expensive. There are two 'Exotic Hardwoods' - not sure which one you mean. Whatever, a two piece body blank set will always be sold as two separate pieces that will need to be squared up, straightened up and glued. Hope this helps!

With the bridge and tailpiece on order, Stuart and I have been discussing the next stages. As we almost certainly now have a fully playable bass in sight, the tasks start moving towards how the bass sounds, now and in the future. The first change is to put in a powered EQ, driving the existing passive pickups. We've decided on the 3-band version of the Seymour Duncan EQ I fitted to my own fretless and Kert's Camphor singlecut. The 3 band has more knobs than ours so is maybe a little less intuitive (or in my terminology, one where an old git like me gets completely lost which knob he's set where ) but Stuart is OK with that and likes the potential extra control over the mids. Also, it means that we have 4 new knobs to simply replace the 4 old ones Assuming the bridge humbucker is splittable, I will route the split via the existing unconnected toggle switch and then feed the output to the EQ. But it is also possible that Stuart in the future may want to upgrade the pickups too. To make all of this reasonably straightforward I'm going to...wait for it.... ...cut a control panel at the back Now, before you all scream "On a semi?????" and "Sacrilege!" and "Put a nasty plastic cover on that beautifully carved back??", I'd better explain that what I am going to attempt is what I did last year on the shaped back of a ES339 6 string: Basically, with a very fine bit, I routed out a complete panel using a template and a guide ring on the router base, then added some strip to act as the rebate: A bit scary, but with enough care and planning, no reason why it shouldn't work fine

I'll post some pics when the bits arrive, but I've got a gold trapeze tailpiece and gold Tune-o-matic style bridge on the way. Not expensive so they will just go in my 'parts' box for another day if no good but I think they are going to do the job very competently and look right on the instrument. The other advantage is that the bushes - although smaller - should fit within the circumference of the existing bush holes. If that all pans out (you never really know until you've got the bits in your hand and try it for real) then it will mean that I can plug the existing bush holes, redrill for the new smaller bushes and fit the bridge without having to have to find new secure places for the new bushes and also have to hide two big holes! There will not be the same problem of the holes distorting as on the original because the only force on the bridge now will be downwards, where the top and bush supports are perfectly strong enough.

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1468917986' post='3094230'] I've changed from plarstic to brass on 3 of my W'wicks. I noticed a difference in the tone straight away. Mind you, the 3 I changed had broken tabs at the sides. The open-string sounds with the brass were/are more like the fretted note sound. I do still have a fretless Warwick and I've not yet changed that. I doubt it would be so marked on the fretless. Also, the tabs on that nut aren't yet broken. [/quote] Yes, I agree - for a fretted bass and with no zero fret I think it does make a tangible improvement to tone in the same way as fitting a bone nut to an acoustic guitar absolutely does. With a fretless raised off the board also. With a fretless set to 'strings on the board' or a fretted with a zero fret I'm not sure I would be able to tell the difference, but I still think the brass one is a cut above in quality and usability terms and worth the extra £20 or so

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1468917529' post='3094224'] I fitted the plastic one to my own fretless and the thumb tribute I built a few years ago. They are absolutely fine, but I've opted for the brass ones on three builds since. I would defy anyone to detect any difference tonally- especially on fretless if you adjust, as I do, to string contact at the fretboard corner edge. However, the adjustment fit on the brass one just feels a bit slicker. Either are fine, but I would personally choose brass. [/quote] The concept however is superb, whether plastic or brass. I would never ever fit a standard nut nowadays.

I fitted the plastic one to my own fretless and the thumb tribute I built a few years ago. They are absolutely fine, but I've opted for the brass ones on three builds since. I would defy anyone to detect any difference tonally- especially on fretless if you adjust, as I do, to string contact at the fretboard corner edge. However, the adjustment fit on the brass one just feels a bit slicker. Either are fine, but I would personally choose brass.

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1468877246' post='3094042'] An ebony tailpiece like on a Benedetto archtop guitar would look very classy. Lots of work though! [/quote] They are lovely, but Stuart is keen to retain the gold hardware look. I've tracked down just the thing, I think....

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1468862075' post='3093875'] Looking forward to following this thread - love Andy's work so I'm confident that Stuart's going to be happy... [/quote] Thanks, Mick

Onto the bridge. I don't have the specific solution yet, but I can see what the problem and root cause has been. What Stuart reported was that the bridge sat very high and at an angle. It's a slightly unusual stop-tail bridge (German made - not quite sure whose) and you can see here that it's been digging into the body: The cause of that - but not the root cause of the issue - was quite easy to work out - the bushes were very loose in deformed holes. Both bushes just lifted out. You can see the gap between the hole and the bush here: The root cause, I believe, is two-fold. Firstly a design/installation flaw in the bridge itself. The stop tail slots into the bridge: But there is much more distance between the ball end and the bushes than a normal stop tail. With the strings here being angled, there is a significant twisting force on both the bridge and the bushes. Now - although I can't work out how you could install such an arrangement - it is notable that there are a couple of threaded holes at the back of the stop tail that presumably are intended for it to be screwed somehow to the body (as I say, can't imagine how that could ever be done, particularly as the bridge itself has lateral adjustment screws - certainly not possible on this type of bass): The additional root cause can only be seen properly with a dentist's mirror. The stop tail bushes are wider than the central maple block. You can just about see here where the drill used for the bushes holes has caught the side of the block: To ensure the bushes have got something to drill into, there are small maple blocks glued either side. However, with the best will in the world - and that enormous twisting load on the bushes - the holes are likely to distort. You can see gaps in the bush hole sides here: I have yet to find the right hardware, but the solution in theory is:[list] [*]Have the bridge as just that - so that the only force on it is downwards. [*]Install a separate stoptail. However, this can't be a Tune-o-matic or similar, because of the same problem - the bush centres would be wider than the central block [/list] My first thought is to find and install a suitable jazz-type trapeze stop-tail and separate bridge. I'll be doing some internet searching tomorrow

[quote name='W1_Pro' timestamp='1468846814' post='3093714'] The body is indeed imbuya, which is called walnut event though it's not walnut, according to wikipedia (who knew??). [/quote] I stand corrected! It looked like some highly figured NA Black Walnut but it is much browner than walnut when I think about it. It's lovely stuff whatever....

OK - what I should portray is, "Of course, I was always pretty sure this was the right solution..." The actual sentiment was, "IT WORKED! IT WORKED!! GOOD HEAVENS - IT ACTUALLY B****Y WORKED!!!!!!" Mrs Andyjr1515 was back so here it is hands-free: Here it is being played with my ridiculously short arms: And does it interfere in the dusty end? No. Here's where the strap sits: ...and here it is in playing position up at the dusty end - there is no interference from the strap whatsoever: Good start, although I'm sure things won't be as smooth as that from now on. Next is sorting the bridge...